What It Means:

The 49ers signed Darnold in the offseason and the former second-overall pick has quietly been earning the team's trust over the summer. His promotion will send former third-overall pick Trey Lance down to the QB3 spot on the roster, which could open him up for a potential trade as Week 1 approaches. Darnold has not found success in the league yet, but could perhaps benefit from playing under head coach Kyle Shanahan.

49ers backup quarterbacks have a habit of making starts during the regular season, so we could be seeing Darnold at some point in 2023. Starting quarterback Brock Purdy is coming off of a serious elbow injury, making it potentially even more important for the team to have a prepared backup in place in case of an injury to their starter.